Harness construction



July 5, 1966 A, J, H, ANCIAUX 3,258,788

HARNESS CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 6, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ALBERT IJJiA/VC/AUX y 1966 A. T. J. H. ANCIAUX 3,253,788

HARNESS CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 135 16 3 5 MII/E/VTOR July 5, 1966 A. T. J. H. ANCIAUX HARNESS CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 6, 1963 lA/l/E/VTOR ALBERT 7.'J.H.ANC/AUX United States Patent 3,258,788 HARNESS CONSTRUCTION Albert Theobald Joseph Henri Anciaux, 244 Chaussee de Waterloo, Brussels, Belgium Filed Feb. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 256,740 3 Claims. (Cl. 82)

This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending United States patent application No. 39,644 filed June 29, 1960, and now abandoned.

The degree of difiiculty in carrying a live or inanimate load is governed by a number of factors, these consisting chiefly of the gradient of the path to be covered, the bends which may occur in it, the total weight of the load to be carried, the freedom of movement of the persons carrying it, the visibility available, and the way in which the load is distributed.

The carrying of an injured or sick person, for example may give rise to serious problems when a conventional stretcher is used. These are quite suitable for movement across spaces which are substantially free of obstruction, but become impossible to use in confined spaces such as steep and narrow staircases, and particularly because discomfort to the person being carried must be avoided at all costs. Where the conventional stretcher cannot be used for these reasons it is common to make use of an ordinary chair, but this has the disadvantage of discomfort to the person carried who is in danger of rolling over to one side or the other. Moreover, there is danger of breaking the chair, the back of which is usually held by one of the carriers in both hands while the other carrier holds the front legs of the chair and generally walks backwards. This results in unsatisfactory distribution of the weight between the two carriers, in addition to the fact that on a gradient one carrier has to exert a pull in an upward direction whilst the other carrier pushes in the same direction in order to counteract the unbalance caused by the displacement of the center of gravity of the mass which is being carried. Accordingly, the carrier in the lower position then has to bear the major portion of the load.

The object of the present invention is to provide a carrying apparatus for patients which overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and which permits in particular the carrying of an injured or sick person in relative comfort, whilst at the same time allowing the carriers maximum freedom of movement, leaving their hands free and ensuring as far as possible even distribution of the load between the carriers, irrespective of any gradient or obstacle being negotiated.

An embodiment of carrying apparatus in accordance with the present invention, and various ways in which it can be used, are hereinafter particularly described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation showing the manner in which a harness of the transportation device is engaged about the shoulders of one of the carriers; FIG. 2 is a rear elevation, to a smaller scale, of the harness of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a coupling member, one of which is arranged on each loop of the harness; FIG. 4 is an elevation of the complete harness to show a slide at the junction of the two loops of the harness; FIG. 5 is an elevation of the slide; FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a telescopic shaft which can be attached at each end to a coupling member of the harness; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing two harnesses coupled by a pair of telescopic shafts which support a seat; FIG. 8 is a front elevation to show how two of the harnesses can be coupled by a simple belt to form a sling-type seat; FIG. 9 is an elevation to show how the harness may be attached by simple belts to the handles of a conventional stretcher.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 the harness comprises "ice a strap 1 made of any convenient material but preferably a synthetic woven fabric. This strap is in the form of a single length each end of which is turned over and stitched to provide a small loop engaged about the center cross-bar of adjustable slides 1a and 1b. Each end of the strap is also passed about the cross-bar of the respective other slide 1a or 112 so that the entire length of strap forms a loop the circumference of which can be adjusted by mov ing the slides 1a, 1b towards and away from each other. The strap is formed into two complete loops 2 and 3 by engaging on it centrally a slide fastener 4, both parts of the strap passing round the center crossbar 4a. These two loops are engaged respectively round the shoulders of the wearer with the slide fastener 4 and the crossover point resting against the Wearers back, see FIG. 2. Each of the loops 2 and 3 is provided with a respective coupling member 5, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. The loops 2 and 3 are engaged about a crossbar 6 and both of the coupling members can ride freely along the strap as may be required to take up the load. The strap is adjusted to fit and rest completely flat against the body of the carrier so as to give a properly balanced distribution of the load on the carriers back and shoulders, leaving the nerves of the neck free and also avoiding pressure of the strap on the blood vessels of the neck.

Each of the coupling members 5 include bars 7 and 8 between which the respective strap loop passes. Each coupling member 5 also further includes a hook 9, with elongated tip 10, depending from a lower cross bar 11 for use in the manner to be described 'below.

For use with the harness of FIGURES 1 to 5 there are provided two telescopic shafts as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7. These shafts are preferably made of light metal and consist of a main tube 12 and end pieces 13a and 13b slidable therein. The shaft is provided with three securing rings 14, 15, 16, the ring 15 being arranged substantially centrally of the shaft and serving for attachment of the load to be carried. The other two rings 14 and 16 are for engagement over the hooks 9 of the coupling members 5.

Referring to FIGURE 7 there is seen a sling seat which includes a rectangular rigid upper framework 18 which is coupled at each side by straps 19, 20 and 21 to a metal ring 22 on which is formed a hook 23 which is engaged through the central ring 15 of the telescopic shafts. On the front and rear crossmembers 18a and 18b of the rigid upper framework there is secured a piece 24 of canvas or other flexible material to form a seat. The frame 18 also has secured rigidly thereto, at each side, a depending frame 25 to serve as a support for the whole when placed on the ground.

The end rings 14, 16 of each shaft are engaged on the hook 9 of the coupling members 5 of the harnesses worn by each of two persons acting as carriers.

The downward pull exerted on the coupling members 5 of each harness is always equally distributed because both of the coupling members 5 are freely slidable along the respective loop of the harness and the weight to be carried is accordingly transmitted to the back and shoulders of the carrier, which are best suited to bear it. Whether the two carriers are at the same level or one is above the other, the proportion of weight is always equally shared between the two, and the load is always exerted as a simple vertical pull on the back and shoulders of the carriers.

Referring to FIGURE 8, each of the two carriers has the strap 1 as shown in FIGURE 1 and a simple support belt 26 with a loop 27 at each end is secured by these loops on the hook 9 of the respective coupling members 5.

Referring to FIGURE 9, the carrier is wearing the harness in the manner shown in FIGURE 1, and two straps 28 are secured to handles formed at the ends of two shafts 29 arranged in side-by-side spaced relationship and coupled by a flexible web 30 to constitute a conventional stretcher. Each strap 27 is provided with a loop 31 which is engaged over the hooks 9 of the coupling members 5. i

I claim:

1. A harness comprising a flexible strap arranged as two loops in a figure-eight, a fastening at the point of juncture of the two loops, and a coupling member engaged and freely slidable on each loop of the strap, said coupling member comprising a metal frame of four parallel bars connected by transverse side members, three of said bars defining a first common plane, the fourth bar and the most adjacent bar to said fourth bar defining a second plane transverse to said first plane, said bars in said second plane having an open space therebetween for the passage of two lengths of strap, said lengths of strap being looped under and freely slidable upon one of said three parallel bars which is remote from said second plane and a hook attached to the one of said three parallel bars most remote from, said second plane.

2. An apparatus for carrying a patient comprising two harnesses for wearing respectively by two bearers, each said harness comprising a flexible strap arranged as two loops in a figure-eight for engagement about the respective bearers shoulders, a fastening at the point of juncture of the two loops for positioning on the bearers back, and a coupling member engaged and freely slidable on each loop of the strap, in combination with a support for the patient, and means coupling each end of the support to a coupling member on each harness, said coupling member comprising a metal frame of four parallel bars connected by transverse side members, three of said bars defining a first common plane, the fourth bar and the most adjacent bar to said fourth bar defining a second 35 plane transverse to said first plane, said bars in said second plane having an open space therebetween for the passage of two lengths of strap, said lengths of strap being looped under and freely slidable upon one of said three parallel bars which is remote from said second plane and a hook attached to the one of said three parallel bars most remote from said second plane.

3. A coupling member for connecting a strap and a load supported thereon, said member comprising a metal frame of four parallel bars connected by transverse side members, three of said bars defining a first common plane, the fourth bar and the most adjacent bar to said fourth bar defining a second plane transverse to said first plane, said bars in said second plane having an open space therebetween for the passage of two lengths of strap, said lengths of strap being looped under and freely slidable upon one of said three parallel bars which is remote from said second plane and a hook attached to the one of said three parallel bars most remote from said second plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 876,038 1/1908 Bryan et al. 224-5 921,812 5/1909 Dorf 224-5 2,187,021 1/1940 Everson 119-96 FOREIGN PATENTS 450,339 1/1913 France. 775,093 10/1934 France. 1,178,452 12/1958 France. 338,961 3/1934 Italy.

74,064 10/ 1948 Norway.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner. 

2. AN APPARATUS FOR CARRYING A PATIENT COMPRISING TWO HARNESSES FOR WEARING RESPECTIVELY BY TWO BEARERS, EACH SAID HARNESS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE STRAP ARRANGED AS TWO LOOPS IN A FIGURE-EIGHT FOR ENGAGEMENT ABOUT THE RESPECTIVE BEARER''S SHOULDERS, A FASTENING AT THE POINT OF JUNCTURE OF THE TWO LOOPS FOR POSITIONING ON THE BEARER''S BACK, AND A COUPLING MEMBER ENGAGED AND FREELY SLIDABLE ON EACH LOOP OF THE STRAP, IN COMBINATION WITH A SUPPORT FOR THE PATIENT, AND MEANS COUPLING EACH END OF THE SUPPORT TO A COUPLING MEMBER ON EACH HARNESS, SAID COUPLING MEMBER COMPRISING A METAL FRAME OF FOUR PARALLEL BARS CONNECTED BY TRANSVERSE SIDE MEMBERS, THREE OF SAID BARS DEFINING A FIRST COMMON PLANE, THE FOURTH BAR AND THE MOST ADJACENT BAR TO SAID FOURTH BAR DEFINING A SECOND PLANE TRANSVERSE TO SAID FIRST PLANE, SAID BARS IN SAID SECOND PLANE HAVING AN OPEN SPACE THEREBETWEEN FOR THE PASSAGE OF TWO LENGTHS OF STRAP, SAID LENGTHS OF STRAP 